Award for collaboration and outreach to Linn Boldt-Christmas

“It was completely unexpected to receive the prize, but also a wonderful recognition that the work makes a difference. I am extremely moved and happy to have received this fantastic prize,” says Linn Boldt-Christmas.

The CoAct Prize was established to recognize and encourage outreach activities at the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the 2025 CoAct Prize was awarded to Linn Boldt-Christmas. Her research field is exoplanets and she has recently completed her doctoral thesis at the department. She was awarded the prize with the following motivation:

The 2025 CoAct Award winner has shared her enthusiasm for science with a young and diverse audience through multifaceted and extensive outreach efforts.

Through open and inclusive science communication, Linn Boldt-Christmas has inspired a broader understanding of the universe in public lectures, science festivals, school visits, and media appearances.

Just like the 2024 winners, Linn Boldt-Christmas received a unique medal, manufactured at the Ångström workshop at Uppsala University. This year's award, the second since the prize was established, was presented during a meeting that Linn Boldt-Christmas was unable to attend in person. Instead, she received the news via a surprise phone call during the meeting.

“I had just landed at Arlanda Airport and was still sitting on the plane when my phone started ringing from a number I didn't recognize. I was just about to reject the call when, for some reason, I decided to answer it instead,” says Linn Boldt-Christmas.

She has always loved popular science, and her passion began in high school where she volunteered to help her chemistry teacher with younger students during her free periods.

“I tried to find exciting ways to explain scientific concepts to keep the students engaged, instead of them throwing hydrochloric acid at each other! That's when I realized how much fun teaching could be, and how rewarding it is to see the spark when someone finally understands,” says Linn Boldt-Christmas.

Throughout her doctoral studies, she has been actively involved in wide range of outreach activities, both as an organizer and a highly appreciated speaker. Her audiences have included children, prospective students, the general public, and university students.

In addition to her passion for science communication Linn Boldt-Christmas also sees it as something truly essential, especially when it comes to showing that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is open to everyone. She believes that it is important, but also her and all researchers' duty, to popularize science for the general public.

“By ‘translating’ our work into something everyone can understand, we help build public trust in research and show that it’s relevant and meaningful. At the same time, we plant the seeds that may inspire the next generation of scientists — a generation that is diverse, passionate, and forward-looking,” says Linn Boldt-Christmas.

Camilla Thulin